"You must have a cool, calm, careful and dispassionate consideration of the evidence together with the courage to return true verdicts based on the evidence, whatever the consequences may be."

Earlier he had also told the jury: "You must recognise a red herring when you see one and ignore it."

Justice Sweeney reminded the jury of the allegations against Harris and said one of the key factors for the prosecution's case was that there was "no reason for so many to lie for no apparent reason".

He added: "The defence has relied on the defendant's good character and insisted he did not commit any of the offences alleged.

"He accepts that he had sexual contact with (alleged victim) and he asserts that it did not begin until she was 18 years old and was consensual throughout.

"He says that (victim) in count one is mistaken or lying and that the remainder are lying too."

The judge detailed how the prosecution insisted the alleged attacks were all similar beginning with the women meeting the famous entertainer, being given bear hugs, unable to escape, and then assaulted.

He also described how the defence had insisted there was no pattern in the allegations and the jury should not draw any conclusion from the fact that Harris "walked from the dock to give evidence".

Harris, of Bray, Berkshire, denies the 12 counts against him which involve four women aged between seven or eight years old and 19 years old, between 1968 and 1984.

The alleged incidents that took place out of the country on the other seven women are not on the indictment and he cannot be charged with them as they are said to have taken place abroad.

The summing-up is excepted to continue tomorrow, and the jury were also told how prosecutor Ms Sasha Wass QC was unable to attend as she has commitments in the Court of Appeal.

Her absence follows that of the leading defence barrister Sonia Woodley QC, who was taken to hospital last week with an undisclosed complaint and has not returned to court since.